


The Sixth Blight- Prologue- And Not A Drop To Drink

by BelleWrites (sunleyemrys)



Series: The Sixth Blight RP [13]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: AU, OC, Role-Playing Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 04:10:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunleyemrys/pseuds/BelleWrites
Summary: Big ass project to turn the collaborative role play writing I've been doing with a group of friends into a cohesive story. Some things will be edited from the original posts.. but this is largely just cleaning it up and putting everything in order. Each major plot point will be its own post with chapters. Hopefully the story will make sense.





	The Sixth Blight- Prologue- And Not A Drop To Drink

After Minne's third escape attempt, the healers had hedged their bets. One for the academics, they calculated the manpower spent watching was worth more than the cost of a broken belt. And so, Minne lay in bed, bored to tears, ankles belted to her hospital bed.

Pitiful.

The healer was no a cruel sort; they had left Minne a small catalog from their personal selection. Tomes ranging from the scientific pursuits, famous battles, to Orlesian drama. "Hard in Hightown" was spoken of at length; it came highly recommended by the healer. Apparently popular with the shemlen, and that was the problem. Minne could not read; not the language of the southern or northern shemlen. Sure, she could perhaps garner a general idea of a simple note, but nothing so complex as a novel. Though, she had found another use for the texts.

For the past hour, she sat, alone in the room, the gentle breeze dancing with her loose hair, trying to make a house of books.

The doors burst open as Katari was pushed into the infirmary.

“I swear, my nub feels fine!”

“Then let’s get it checked to make sure it stays that way! Don’t want you opening your wound on the wall, especially with the alarms goin off!” Harris yelled back at Katari as he stepped into the infirmary.

Katari had always hated it here. This was where he’d been kept in his first week with the Wardens. The idea of spending even more time here was not one that Katari wanted to make true. And yet, prompted by Harris, here they were.

Cots were planted along the sides of the room, each looking particularly pathetic. Most were empty, save one. On a table beside it, a small stack of books had been arranged meticulously into a house by the elf occupying the bed: Minne.

“Minne! How are you feeling?” Katari asked as he rushed forward, wrapping his arm around the elf and accidentally sending the books tumbling to the ground. He’d been meaning to visit her; he knew how terribly dull the infirmary could be. Nothing to do but read for hours, and Minne hated anything to do with Humans.

“Well now you’re pleased to be here,” chimed in Harris, eyeing the duo as he carefully restocked the books into a neat pile on the bedside table. “Took forever to get him here, now I don’t know that he’ll want to leave. Katari, if you could get off her so we can make introductions...”

He forcibly pulled Katari off of the elf, extending his hand to her.

“Harris. Been in Rivain for a long while, don’t think we’ve met. Course, from what Katari tells me, that might be intentional.”

Katari blushed. From what he’d seen, it didn’t seem like Harris was intent on keeping things private with anyone. He remembered the conversation they’d had wherein he’d mentioned Minne’s hatred of humans. Harris telling Minne about it directly wasn’t meant to happen.

In an attempt to ease the tension, he kneeled beside Minne. “So how are you? Bored with the books yet?”

She took the man's hand, swinging it woodenly with a perplexed look.

She tugged with her feet, the stunted motion rattling the buckle on the belt securing her ankles to the bed.

"No, I tied myself here because I couldn't bare being without them...what was that about intentional avoiding? Do you eat pickled eggs? Smell o' the stuff makes me reconsider if having a nose at all is worth it.

Also you better pick that shite up. Took me an hour to build that, n' if the healer sees them on the floor I shudder to think what he'll do..."

“Well given your apprehension towards humans, I’d assumed that you’d hate round-ears like me. ‘Course, I’m plenty pleased if that’s not the case. Maybe this damned giant was just pullin my leg,” Harris responded, ending with a chuckle. Joy spread over his face. While Katari was sure he meant it all in good fun, it was incredibly embarrassing to have someone talk about what was a private conversation. Especially with the subject of that conversation.

Katari sheepishly began to restack the books into the house that Minne had created. Several of the books had been written by Varric Tethras. The Tale of the Champion, Hard in Hightown, Swords and Shields. It was hard to believe that Minne would read these, given that they all revolve around “Shems” as she put it. He fumbled with a small story book, attempting to flip through the pages and failing.

All of a sudden, Katari felt himself holding back tears. Even something as simple as reading a book was too difficult for him now. He placed the book gently on the table and spread the pages.

“Minne, you were reading ‘Gerry Griffin Finds The Goose?’ I’d have thought your tastes were a little more...mature than a children’s book about a griffin,” Katari said, astonished. He didn’t actually know whether Minne had been reading it or not, but the two had always liked to poke fun at each other. They undoubtedly cared for each other, despite the snipes.

“Right...I’ll give you a minute while I go find a healer for you Katari,” Harris chimed in, moving away from Minne.

Katari took the opportunity to inch closer to Minne’s bedside, pulling up a small stool. The last time he spoke to Minne had been in the cave. She had warned him about attachments with Andie, and his duty. These thoughts, along with what had happened with Andie earlier, now sprang up in his mind. He couldn’t mention it to Minne. He knew she wouldn’t understand.

He wracked his mind, looking for something to say.

“So...did Gerry find the goose?”

She lay there for a moment, debating in her head whether to bluff the plot of a book she never read and if she could do it convincingly when she saw the tell-tale wetness in his eyes. Fuck. She was a sucker for tears; couldn't handle 'em at all. she reached her arm out, patting the top of his big head, and said sweetly. "Katari, if you don't tell me what's got you like that, this Griffin is 'gonna find your fuckin' goose.

Katari scanned the room, looking to see if Harris was about. He was on the far end of the room, locked in conversation with one of the nurses. Slowly, he placed the book on the small table. He locked Minne’s hand with his, and a feeling of comfort overcame him. Minne made him feel safe. For all her threats, he knew she cares about him. Fighting back tears, he sighed.

“It’s just...I can’t do things anymore. I can’t read a book standing up, or open it and flip through the pages without it being firmly planted against something else. And what you said about duty to the Wardens, and distractions...”

He breathed deep, needing a pause as images of Andie ran through his head.

No. I can’t tell her.

“I just...I can’t be a good Warden if I only have the one arm. I’m beginning to think that maybe this life wasn’t meant for me. Maybe this was a sign, or something.”

Minne pursed her lips, choosing her words. A rarity,to say the least.

"Aye, perhaps you won' be at the frontlines of any shieldwall...and your life will be tougher; but your sacrifice was brave, and true. Maybe 'ya can't fend off a hurlock anymore, but you do have some experiance with battle now. You're down an arm, but you've still got your 'ead." She said, limply poking at his forehead. "'Yer a smart lad- a mage too. Maybe see what you can mix up to help us all do our jobs. Mores' to bein' a warden than killing."

 “Easy for you to say. You still have both arms, AND nobody got in trouble because you misled them.”

He sighed. Even though they denied it, he knew that Tiberius, Gwyn, and Andie all held him responsible for their new punishments. If he’d just had a little faith in Minne, none of them would have wound up this way. Minne has always been the capable sort — and wise, in her own right. Even now, trying to comfort Katari, she made sense.

“You’re right though. This isn’t the end, even if it seems like it.”

Minne spoke the truth. Losing an arm wasn’t a death sentence, merely a hindrance. There were still ways he could make a difference —in the world and for the Wardens. Yet, the despair still seemed present, though mixed with something else...a forlorn sense of hope, perhaps? He shoved it to the back of his mind for the moment and cleared his throat.

‘Making a difference’ could start here. He flipped open the book to the first page. Colourful drawing filled the parchment. Bright hues of green, red, and blue told the beginning of the story. Katari glanced up at Minne, before returning his eyes to the page. He began to read:

“Gerry was a griffin. He lived in Weisshaupt ALL his life, being taken care of by the grey Wardens. One day, Gerry saw something through the window. A picnic! In the courtyard, Wardens were feasting on all kinds of food! Dates, breads, and best of all...a tasty ROAST GOOSE.”

Katari shot another glance at Minne, checking to see how she responded to the first few pages of the book. He fully expected some comment from the injured elf and wanted to see if he was annoying her before he continued.

"Please, by all the gods NO!" She said, a bit too loudly, the nurse peering past Harris to see the source of the commotion. Unconvinced of anything awful happening, she turned back to her conversation.

Minne looked quickly from her binds to Katari, whispering hurridly. "If you are the kind-hearted bull-man I know you are, then you'll help me get out of here and get some real roast goose. My legs are going to sink away to twigs at this rate. C'mon!

Placing the book back on the table, Katari looked over to check on his overseer. Harris was still over by the window, laughing with the nurses. He knew how mind-numbingly dull being in the infirmary was, but with his superior so close by he knew it was unwise to get in anymore trouble.

“Given the circumstances,” he whispered, lightly pointing at Harris, “I probably shouldn’t go too far. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help you. You can walk, yes? I’ll make a distraction, I’m good at those.”

With one final hug, he departed from Minne, fully confident that she could handle her half of the escape. Limping his way over towards Harris, he reached his arm over his chest to clutch his nub, groaning in feigned pain.

“Please, nurse! It all just started to hurt. It feels like I’m being dipped in lava all over!”

Katari dropped to his knees, releasing a howl of ‘pain’. He felt all eyes turn towards him.

Now’s your chance Minne.

Minne nodded, her eyes reflecting the steely glare of respect towards a fellow soldier. She saluted.

Her mild dehydration that caused her hands to shake was counter-balanced by the meticulous plan she had mapped out during her stay. With fumbling hands, she undid the belt at her feet and rolled off the bed, landing as lithe as a cat; a lazy cat with sore legs who hadn't moved in days. But despite it all she managed to not crack her head off the floor. She got up to run, but numb feet slid and connected with the table, knocking a book straight into her reflexive hand.

Gerry the bleedin' fuckin' Griffin.

Her window was closing, she snatched up the book and ran like a spooked Halla through the door and half-down the hall, a little less gracefully that she dreamt, however.

Harris knelt down beside Katari, pulling the Qunari to his feet.

“Andraste’s tits, Katari, why didn’t you speak up earlier?”

Katari heard Minne stumbling about, followed by the door to the infirmary opening and then closing. Minne was out now — with luck the nurses wouldn’t make a big deal out of her being gone. Everyone knew how resourceful Minne was; if she said she could handle herself, then she could.

“I just...it just happened suddenly. Sometimes it just hurts, and then stops. It’s already feeling a little better.” Katari spoke softly. Lying to help a friend was no big deal, and he knew it. Slowly, he shambled himself back up to his feet.

Harris rose with him, guiding Katari to a bed beside a window overlooking the courtyard.

“Be that as it may, let’s still get it checked before you start wailing on the wall. Cmon, the nurse’ll take care of you.”

Sure enough, the nurse approached Katari and began to undress his wound. The elven woman, a rather old looking mage, spoke caringly. Her motherly voice made it clear to Katari that she was here to remind the wounded of home.

“Now dear, if it starts hurting just let me know.”

“Of course. It’s fine.”

As the final bandage was pulled off, Katari suddenly felt a stinging pain shoot through him. He let loose an involuntary groan, which made the nurse give him a judging look.

“Okay,” he added, “maybe not THAT fine. But it only started hurting after the bandage was removed.”

“Oh? Did it now? Then what was that whole display you put on?” Harris asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Uh oh.

“I just meant-“

“Right, Katari, I know what you meant. You just wanted to get this over with, so we could go check out what that whole ‘alarm bells ringing at the front gate’ situation before we have to start guard duty, right?” Harris added in a firm look at the Qunari.

“R-right. That’s it.”

The elven woman shrugged. “Just take it easy and it should be fine. And come back if there’s any more pain or outbursts.”

In short order, Katari found his wound redressed with fresh bandages, and a poultice applied. As Harris escorted him out of the infirmary, he leaned in close.

“Look, you gotta let the healers do their job. An’ no, I don’t mean the arm. We both know what that was about. You sticking up for Minne is peachy, but we have this infirmary for a reason. Next time just sit there and keep reading ‘er that book, no matter how much she hates it. Yes?”

Katari stared back at the Rivaini. For all his ‘honesty’, Harris seemed to still stick by him. Still somewhat stunned, Katari just nodded, and Harris released him.

“Good. Now then, let’s go see what’s happening out there.”

And with that, the two began the walk down to the courtyard.


End file.
